Rejuvenation

"They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength,

 they will soar on eagles’ wings..." Isaiah 40:31

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In my life, when I have found myself facing really tough life challenges, I used to hope and pray that the Lord would help me 'get through it' and keep me hopeful; able to move forward from the grasp of disappointment, frustration, pain and infirmity. However, that has changed exponentially as my belief in the saving power of Jesus has evolved. As time changes all things, so it goes with my prayer focus.

Hope is always a good thing to pray for, but now I set my sights a bit higher, while praying for stronger faith, contentment, peace and joy in every circumstance. I find myself growing in acceptance of 'what is' --even if just for today. I have learned to reconcile with life on its terms, with the divine confidence that God is in control of my life since I placed it all squarely in His loving, healing hands.

For, to take on today and the 'what ifs' of the tomorrow would be far too intimidating and overwhelming. Simply put, mankind was designed by God to handle just one day at a time. That's it!

Even, and especially, in the face of tragedy, this much is true: The Lord can best use us to build His Kingdom when we are simply living out each day, depending on Him at every turn to the best of our ability. 

The world will tell you you are in control of your own destiny, but I suggest that is far overstated. Actually, as human beings, we are in control of our free will alone. We decide what we choose to think about, what we do, where we go. And we decide to stand down and give up, or step up in prayerful confidence and seek God's help during devastating times. Hard as it may be to believe, we have the power to elicit Jesus' holy intervention at any time for ourselves and others.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is closest to the blessed sick, the poor, the broken-hearted, and the grieving, those in most need. Rest assured, when you need Jesus the most, He is there with you and for you. Through the power of the Holy Spirit He is working out all things for good, [Romans 8:28] despite how things may appear to you at any given time.

So go on...Take a deep breath and rest assured that you are never alone in your times of great need. Omnipotent Almighty, the Lord is lifting you up on eagles' wings and strengthening you for whatever is ahead. Pray for whatever you need, and trust Him... He has the master plan and holds you in the palm of His righteous hand.

Adele M. Gill   |   Copyright 2014

3 Easy Steps to Stronger Faith

"If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that 

God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved..."  Romans 10:9

 www.theinspirationcafeblog.blogspot.com

 Perhaps I have, in the past, been easily distracted from prayer, but in recent years, I have learned a whole new way to pray and deal with the stresses of daily life. I have learned that there are 3 simple things that I can do, that can make any circumstance more manageable, while strengthening my faith. In fact, through reading and studying the Bible, I have discovered an easy way of dealing prayerfully and effectively with the ups and downs of daily life.

Simply stated, I call it: Pray  /  Read   /  Believe & Trust

I don't know about you, but at times in my own life, when things go awry, I forget to pray first before doing anything else. When negative, difficult or challenging things start to happen in my life, I may pace, begin to worry, knit, sew, call a friend, or run an errand ~ anything to distract myself, rather than sit quietly and prayerfully ask for God's help in the name of Jesus Christ.

However, I have discovered 3 easy steps that calm me down quickly and make any situation a faith learning experience. Perhaps you may find them helpful, too:

1)  Pray, Pray, Pray

In I Thessalonians 5:17, the Holy Bible tells us to, 'Pray without ceasing' for whatever you need. In that way, we are able to stay closely connected to God in every circumstance. Some people pray in the morning and the evening, some throughout the day. Yet others solely pray in times of desperation or only when in Church. This Scriptural prescription from Thessalonians suggests we need to make God an ever present part of our day, rather than an afterthought. When we pray, we are focused squarely on the Lord rather than ourselves or our circumstances. Truly, there is unlimited power in prayer as it has the capacity to change all things for the better.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:20, 'Where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.' This Bible promise actually lets us know that uniting in prayer with others is truly powerful. Whether in person, or even via the phone, it is possible to pray together with others, with the understanding that Jesus is truly present in your time of need. I like to join with others in prayer as often as possible to get the full benefit of God’s intervention in my life and that of others.

     2) Read the Bible Daily

When you read the Bible daily, you soon find that what was written some 2000 years ago is truly relevant and important in daily life today. I like to pray to God through Jesus Christ, then read my Bible, and the answers to my prayers often seem to leap off the page. Many report that reading the Bible makes them feel like God is talking directly to them... And He is, as Scripture is alive today and has the potential to be life-changing!

     3) Believe & Trust That God Will Act on Your Behalf

When you pray through Jesus Christ, you begin to grow in a life-changing, personal relationship with Him. You come to the realization that you are never alone, despite how you may feel, and that He is there for you to help you at every turn, simply for the asking. You are able to grow in contentment in your daily life, with the quiet knowing that Jesus Christ is at the helm, regardless of circumstance, as you place your life squarely in His Almighty, loving hands.

According to Nehemiah 8:10: "The Joy of the Lord IS your Strength!" Praying and believing that the joy of the Lord is your strength is a great lesson in humility. Even and especially in times of weakness, this truth stands. Alone, we can do nothing. We are nothing. We have nothing. The Lord is everything. Friend, Omnipotent Almighty, The Great Healer, Provider, Comforter, Protector, Savior and Lord. With Him at our side, we are able to pray with great confidence, and as Scripture tells us we can move mountains with faith the size of a mustard seed… 

The Inspiration Cafe Blog  | Adele M. Gill  |  Copyright 2014